For the record, I am a teenager who watches Jackass. I have also read the Crucible, and consider myself to have morals. You can't just denounce a whole generation based on the apathetic, amoral view given in the media.

Everyone copes with something like this... humor is a common mechanism. Just because someone is joking doesn't mean they're not taking it seriously; you can't criticize someone for taking some time to fully comprehend the magnitude of this disaster. When we feel threatened, many of us compensate with humor; I can't speak for you, but I feel pretty damn threatened.

Gamers need to take a more active role politically. Right now, computer games are an incredibly easy target for ambitious politicians. What they need to realize, though, is that gamers are their constituents. I have sent a number of letters to my senator (who just happens to be good ol' Joe Lieberman) on the matter, and I encourage others to do the same thing. If gamers make their presence as healthy, normal individuals known when they're accused, rather than just talking on BB's, maybe games won't be such an easy target.

"Kawashima's study looked at the brain activity of hundreds of students playing a Nintendo game..."

Hmm... a single, unidentified Nintendo game doesn't stimulate the brain. What game was it? I doubt they'd have the same results if they were using a strategy game, an RPG, or even some interactive fiction (I'm sure Zork stimulates the brain :)).

Bottom line, you need a lot more than they have to declare that games rot your brain. All that is acomplished by stories like this is giving the general public a negative view of what is actually a very intellectually stimulating activity.